In the Light of the Moon
by The Lady of the Willows
Summary: The werewolf prank Sirius played succeeded. Severus finds that life as a werewolf brings unexpected things, whether it be a new friend which he does not admit to, a new family, or triumph. Severus, Remus, and Lily friendship.


Author's Note: I have been wondering what would happen if Sirius' prank with Snape and the werewolf, as I call it, succeeded. I believe that Snape, because he is a survivor, would have been driven to make the best of his situation, but complaining inwardly the whole way. I do not know who invents the Wolfsbane Potion, but in my story, Severus will. "Snape's Worst Memory" will not exist here because he will be inside, rather than outside, on that day and working on a cure to his condition.

**In the Light of the Moon**

When Severus Snape awoke in the infirmary, the first thing he noted was the expanse of white. It was as blank as he felt at the moment, under his rage which was beginning to boil. _"Do you understand that you are something else?"_ he thought to himself harshly. From now on, at every full moon, he would be transformed into a monster, complete with bestial instincts, until the coming of the dawn.

He decided to wait.

Time passed, and he found himself still lost.

Of course, Lily had not been by to see him yet. They had been drifting away in the last few years because Lily could not understand what her Gryffindor friends were like.

The Headmaster came down to tell of how harmless the newly infected werewolf would be despite what Severus thought.

"I am dangerous," stated Severus sullenly.

"Nonsense, Mr. Snape," answered the Headmaster, eyes twinkling behind the half-moon glasses. "If you stay inside--"

"Someone will get bitten!" snapped Severus. Headmaster Dumbledore could promise anything-- mayhap he would promise everything-- but the fact that Severus had been bitten was undeniable. "You let that… werewolf into the school!" he spat.

"However, Mr. Snape, you must remember that if you had stayed inside--"

"He should be expelled. They should all be expelled."

The Headmaster let Severus finish his tirade. After it seemed that Severus was complete, the Headmaster stared at the young Slytherin thoughtfully. "If Mr. Lupin is expelled for his misfortunate condition--"

"For being a murderer!" interrupted Severus angrily.

"Then you, because you are also afflicted, would have to be expelled as well."

This was a valid point. "It was dangerous to have that werewolf running around!" screamed Severus, pointing a shaking finger at Lupin. Severus knew that he was being repetitive, but he could not understand the headmaster's laissez-faire attitude. It was as though the fact that there were two werewolves in the infirmary at this moment had escaped the headmaster's notice. "It could have bitten anyone!"

Headmaster Dumbledore looked down benignly, with just a bit of sharpness. "Severus, you must admit that would be only if people were running around after hours. If you had stayed in your dormitory as you are supposed to, none of this would have happened." The words were accentuated by a sad shake of the head.

Needless to say, it was a less than satisfactory answer.

* * *

On the second day, Lily Evans, just out of Potions class with the splendid Professor Horace Slughorn, came by to visit Serverus with the assignments. With Severus still bitter over the recent incident, the conversation quickly took a downward turn.

"He attacked me, Lily."

She gave him a look of suffering. "Why would he attack you?"

"He is a werewolf!" bellowed Severus, quite furious at his condition and her refusal to believe him. She was his best friend since childhood, and she was being reluctant to accept the truth. "Just because he is a Gryffindor does not mean that he is harmless or always in the right!"

Lily's green eyes became cold. "You have tried to convince me that he is a werewolf before. I have heard all your theories. It is just as likely that you tried to bait him and a curse backfired." She paused and continued in a gentler tone, "Slytherins are just as bad. Some of your friends do perfectly terrible things for no reason at all. James and Sirius might be the same, but Remus is different. He is--"

It was at this point that Madame Pomfrey bore down upon Lily and Severus and demanded that Lily leave because she was upsetting a patient.

* * *

Surprisingly, it was Lucius Malfoy who came by to see Severus on the third day. As usual, Lucius was handsome, sweeping, and confident. Lucius was also very knowledgeable about the current situation, thanks to eavesdropping housemates. "We would do something about this, but Dumbledore is too influential to be sacked at the moment. How are you?"

"Fine." Severus had never been more thankful for his House's meddling before. Professor Slughorn, in attempts to preserve his web of connections, tried to be neutral and thus did nothing. It was unfortunate, because Slytherins could only count on other Slytherins. Severus suddenly decided that he would become the Slytherin Head of House some day, if only to provide future generations of young snakes with a reliable ear.

"If you are still as clever as ever, my little Half-Blood Prince, what do you think of this plan? We will send you to St. Mungo's for treatment and let things go from there. The Malfoy family has been donating to it for at least a hundred years, so they will not deny me acceptance of a patient. They will discover that you were bitten and make an inquiry of just how this could have happened. It will lead here and--"

"Expulsion!" Severus looked positively unholy with glee as he imagined just what would happen. Unfortunately, the truth of his situation came crashing down again. He was bitten by a werewolf. It was bad enough to be a half-blood, though he had proven his right to be in Slytherin by ability and nature, and he was now a werewolf. Scowling once more, he glared at the wall. He would have instinctively glared at Lucius, but Severus was too aware of status to do such a thing to the former Slytherin Prefect. "They cannot move me unless Madame Pomfrey and the Headmaster agree," remarked Severus, putting aside thoughts of his future in favor of thoughts of revenge.

"Or your parents."

Very bluntly, Severus stated, "My mother is dead and my father is a filthy muggle drunk."

Lucius winced slightly at the word "muggle", but soon brightened up. "We will make a case that there is something wrong with your… muggle family. In that case, a wizarding family in good standing has a chance to take over your upbringing so that you can be raised like a proper wizard." Frowning, Lucius added, "It has to be a strong case, though. In the wizarding world, blood is supposed to stick with blood."

"I am a half-blood, Lucius. Who is going to take me in?"

There was a crafty look in Lucius' eye which Severus was immediately wary of. "Who, indeed…" The blond man chuckled and left, presumably to visit St. Mungo's and make arrangements.

* * *

Lucius worked quickly. Severus had no illusions about the deed being completely altruistic, but he was still thankful. It was likely that some shortcuts had been taken, but Severus was too much of a Slytherin to be worried about such a thing. He was thinking more of other problems: the reigning attitude of Slytherins to lesser beings was that lesser beings existed to be useful. Those who did not fit this perception of reality were useless. Useless beings simply existed, with nothing to validate their existence. Severus was determined to continue being useful.

At any rate, on the seventh day, a letter arrived addressed to Mr. Severus Snape while he was in a ward of St. Mungo's. Severus was there only because the School Board had insisted over the Headmaster attempts to soothe that the suspicious bite warranted outside treatment and care. The contents of the letter essentially stated that the Ministry had decided that it was a dangerous situation for a young wizard to live in the care of a neglectful and possibly abusive muggle. Severus needed an individual or family in good standing to accept, adopt, or foster him. Letters would most likely begin to arrive within three days with offers. If no one offered, Severus would be a ward of the Ministry until the age of emancipation. Severus found it depressing that a note of his lycanthropy was made and an implication that because of that, it was unlikely anyone would offer.

A second letter arrived from Lucius Malfoy stating that many were horrified to learn that a werewolf was not only attending school at Hogwarts, but had savagely attacked a fellow student. Many were calling for the werewolf's expulsion, and a team from the Ministry was going to investigate. Naturally, that was not the only information in the letter. There was also a formal offer of being fostered by the Malfoy family from the current patriarch, Abraxas Malfoy, with a note on another sheet of paper warning Severus that he would have to learn to be worthy of being associated as almost a part of the Malfoy family. Severus would have been insulted by this if he had not already known of and experienced Lucius' intense family pride multiple times.

Severus had just enough time to push the two letters under his pillow as a representative from the Ministry entered to take a statement on the tragic accident involving Remus Lupin at the Whomping Willow. With his acidic hatred of the Marauders still intact and even enhanced, it was not difficult for Severus to play back all his spite tirelessly. He waxed eloquent on the Gryffindor werewolf and the unfortunate pack of spiteful and dangerous friends Remus had found for himself. The Ministry representative took down everything before assuring Severus that everything possible would be done to remove this dangerous pack of criminals from the school. Just before the representative was going to depart, Severus called, "What about me?" he almost feared to hear what would happen to him.

The representative looked rather sympathetic when he turned around, but hurried away without a reply.

It was an ominous omen. Had Severus been inclined to believe in such things, he would have said so. Being skeptical of his abilities in deciphering such things, he remained silent and mulled over the situation in his mind. Then, realizing that it was useless to think about such things, he sent a reply back to the Malfoy family writing of his acceptance of their offer.

* * *

The following day, Severus appeared in the court for official approval of his acceptance into the Malfoy family as a fostered child. There were many notable Slytherins present to watch this peculiar play acted out. Severus' attention, however, was caught by a beautiful woman who resembled Sirius Black both in fair appearance and wild nature. Lucius whispered to Severus that she was Sirius Black's mother, but that Sirius had run away, as most everyone knew, and thus been disowned. Severus could not help but think that it was dangerous for Sirius Black's mother to be present, in case the quixotic streak every Black he had met so far shared led Sirius Black's mother to try and turn the case around and keep her undeserving son in school.

No one objected, though a last minute offer from the Potter family came in. It was doubtlessly their attempt to make amends for their young scion's distasteful behavior. Naturally, Severus quickly rejected it, and approval for his acceptance to the Malfoy family was given. From now on, he would be linked to the Malfoy family in all his actions and deeds-- so Lucius' first act was logically to take Severus out to purchase new clothing.

By the afternoon, Severus Snape, formally affiliated with the Malfoy family, returned to Hogwarts. Surprisingly, many of his fellow Slytherins came out to greet him. Before Severus could speak to any of them, though, the Headmaster took Severus to his office. Lucius, who had been along, insisted on accompanying his new family affiliate but was refused. Severus had a feeling that had the Malfoy been a Gryffindor, the request would not have been denied.

At any rate, Severus found himself seated across from the Headmaster, who tried to pry into Severus' half-made mind walls. Severus was not a natural Occlumens nor had he perfected his skills in the art, so he did not meet the Headmaster's eyes.

"You have done a very cruel thing," started the Headmaster sadly and solemnly.

"It was the right thing," answered Severus, still keeping his eyes away.

"Fortunately, despite your statements to the Ministry, Mr. Lupin will be permitted to stay in this school-- as you are."

Severus had been prepared for this possibility, but another person weighed on his mind. "And Black?"

"Mr. Black will also be permitted to continue his studies here."

His fists clenched under the table as he imagined just what horrors he would have to face after trying unsuccessfully to get the Marauders expelled. Potter and Black were the worst of the lot, and both were staying. Headmaster Dumbledore spoke a bit longer on various things, Severus did not listen. He, Severus Snape, was now a werewolf and the people responsible were still free to go about their business. He remained in this stupor on his way out of the office, where he was confronted by Lily Evans.

"That was cruel!" declared Lily vehemently. "I heard from Remus about what happened. Remus cannot help being a werewolf. I cannot believe you tried to get him expelled."

Even after knowing the truth, Lily was still willing to favor the werewolf in her arguments. For the first time in many years, Severus' love for her wavered. "He nearly killed me."

"He cannot help his nature during the full moon!"

Severus felt disillusioned. He turned, unwilling to look into her eyes. In a low weary voice, he answered, "If murder is not serious enough for you, Lily, then I have no idea what is." Ignoring her heated shouts for him to stop, he fled to the comforting familiar walls of the Slytherin Common Room, where he would not be encountered by Marauders or childhood friends.

From that day on, Severus spent much of his spare time brewing in a forgotten chamber he had found, feverishly searching for a cure to his condition without paying attention to people who sought his notice. Lupin attempted to apologize many times, but Severus ignored him. That was, until Severus had an epiphany that he would require a test subject for his cure when he developed it. Severus quickly accepted the apology and became allies with Lupin. Surprisingly, Lupin was not very loud. Severus soon became used to the presence of Lupin in his brewing chamber as they worked on the cure together. Lily, on the other hand, was avoided all the time. Severus was afraid of falling back in love with her again if he saw her eyes.

Severus spent his first night as a werewolf in the dungeons of the Malfoy Manor. The arrangements allowed him a portkey for the trip before the full moon every lunar cycle. He remembered very little the morning after other than that there had been the feeling of passion with the stinging of a bleeding wound. Indeed, he was bleeding in several places, but those were quickly patched up by Narcissa Black, Lucius' fiancé and Sirius' cousin. Severus wondered grimly how the wretched dog, Sirius, felt to know that his family was slowly taking in Severus, the poor, pitiful half-breed while rejecting their wayward son. However, when Severus returned to Hogwarts, all he could think was that he wanted to find the cure soon.

Lupin was waiting for him in the brewing chamber. The werewolf-- no, other werewolf-- had tried to be considerate, but Severus wanted nothing of it. A burst of accidental magic pushed Lupin against the wall when he became too thoughtful and curious about Severus' experience. The other werewolf learned quickly and stopped speaking of the painful change.

* * *

There was something to be said for desperation. Severus was so desperate to find a cure that he developed one before his second full moon as a werewolf. Lupin stared at it hungrily when Severus put the potion into a vial. Although Severus was loathe to admit it, he could understand the yearning, the dead dreams of days forsaken. The moon was like an unwanted mother, now. It pulled at him unbidden. This potion could possibly remove the unwanted effects of change and losing one's mind.

With permission, Severus took Lupin with him to the Malfoy dungeons for their next change. The werewolves were shut into separate cells, and only one was administered the potion. The morning after, Severus still experienced the same agony of flesh as during the last full moon, but Lupin seemed indefinitely worse. After discussing the matter, Severus discovered that Lupin had retained his mind but that the change had been incredibly painful, as in much more so than usual.

The potion was flawed.

However, though the battle may have been lost, he had gained valuable knowledge to contribute to his eventual final victory.

Severus and Lupin returned to Hogwarts and its usual life with unwanted Gryffindors. The Marauders barely touched Severus because the Slytherin spent his time in the library under the watchful eye of Madame Pince, in class, in the Great Hall, or in the "den of snakes", as the Marauders called it. However, just because they did not touch him did not mean that he would not touch them. Severus took malicious delight in hexing them at opportune moments, feeling that it was revenge for years of torment. Lily tried to speak to Severus every now and then, but she had shaken their trust. Severus occasionally found himself wishing for their old friendship when they worked together in Potions, never speaking more than needed, but he recognized that he did not need love.

His decision of not speaking to Lily changed one day when she whispered over the cauldron, "I know what you have been doing, Severus."

He ignored her.

"You and Remus have been working on a cure to the werewolf--"

Severus nearly dropped the quill he was using to take notes, but controlled himself in time. Werewolf was a nearly taboo word in the halls of Hogwarts after the entire problem had been revealed. Everyone knew that Severus was a werewolf and everyone knew that Remus had bitten him. This fact, combined with the fact that Severus was supported by the Malfoy family, led most to not outwardly speak ill of werewolves. In fact, few dared to speak to Severus or Remus, because they were afraid that they might be bitten or because they feared the hand of the Malfoys. To hear Lily speak so nonchalantly was shocking. "And?" Severus asked coolly.

Lily seemed taken aback, but delighted all the same that he had decided to speak. "I think it is wonderful, Sev. Why did you decide to do it?" The question, asked thoughtlessly, was more because she wanted to find some topic to make him speak more.

"When you are both a werewolf and skilled at potions," he said slowly, with more than a trace of condescension in his low voice, "I would think that you would want to find a cure."

She flushed slightly but opened her mouth to speak again. Unfortunately, the lesson ended and Severus hurried out.

* * *

Remus cleared his throat as Severus poured over a tome that afternoon.

"What is it, Remus?" asked Severus irately.

"I heard from Lily," began the other werewolf.

Severus' eyes immediately darted away from his book to watch his brewing companion cautiously. "And?"

Remus was not satisfied with the monosyllabic answer. "I heard what you said to her. James wanted to hex you for being rude, but I advised him not to--"

"Should I thank you?" interrupted Severus sarcastically.

"Severus, from what I heard, you and Lily were best friends. She still wants to be your friend. You should value your friends."

It was rather abashing to rebuked by his own test subject, so Severus tried to make the best of things. As a Slytherin, it was simple for him to do so. It would, of course, be simple to ignore her some more, but although he tried to deceive himself, he still missed his best friend from his childhood.

He decided to wait.

He might have decided to continue not speaking to her had he not noticed that during dinnertime, she sat with an unmistakable amount of space between herself and the surrounding students. There was a morose air to even her simplest action of pressing a fork against a napkin or lifting her cup to drink from it. After a second look, Severus realized that there was really no unusual distance between Lily and the person next to her or between any others at the Gryffindor table. It was simply her morose air which was tainting his view.

However, Severus felt that this lent some truth to Remus' words, so the Slytherin werewolf began taking steps towards reconciliation.

* * *

A week later, Severus, Remus, and Lily met in the brewing room. They were cold to each other at first, but that gradually fell away to form a rather congenial atmosphere. Remus had not vocalized his observation that Severus had started to use a friendly "Remus" rather than a distant "Lupin", but Remus was thankful. In the Gryffindor werewolf's opinion, he was finally becoming friends with Severus.

Another transformation came and went, leaving the three students once more at the cauldron, ready to make changes. While Severus measured the ingredients, Lily checked the notes and Remus observed the situation with amusement. It was certainly a picture: a thin, dark boy brewing solemnly with eyes that demanded precision and perfection from the cauldron; a pretty red-haired assistant who studiously examined the notes again and again; and the test subject who doubled as "ingredient fetcher", a sickly-looking boy.

Remus laughed, but it sounded hoarse after his recent transformation. "If I was a bard, I would say that you are six feet tall, dark haired with glowing eyes, and that you seemed like a towering shadow over your cauldron as you brewed the final cure. However, I plan to be a historian, so I would have to be factual."

"What do you plan to write?" asked Severus as he measured some water.

"Tall as well as great authority, with intimidating features and sharp eyes."

"You are still infusing it with a flair of dramatics."

Remus offered an apologetic shrug.

Lily smiled brightly with happiness that reached her green eyes. "You are, Sev."

Severus fell completely in love with Lily once more at that moment. He nearly forgot to finish measuring the ingredient he was holding before dropping it in as he stared at her. Fortunately, Remus managed to save the unfinished potion before Severus could ruin it by accident. But mayhap it was because of the inspiration of Lily's green eyes that Severus managed to finish the potion that night, feeling that he had done excellently.

The next full moon, Remus took the potion once more and slept through his transformation peacefully.

Lucius put a hand to his charge's shoulder. "Congratulations, Severus. Check the Prophet tomorrow."

* * *

The next day, an article appeared in the Daily Prophet.

**Hogwarts Student Creates Wolfsbane**

_The werewolf scandal of just last autumn shocked the wizarding world when they learned that their children attended school at Hogwarts with a werewolf. After the dangerous dark creature infected another student, we all remember the horror and disbelief created when Headmaster Albus Dumbledore insisted that education was open to everyone and permitted both werewolves to continue attending the school. It was only with the generous aid of Abraxas Malfoy, guardian of the bitten youth, Severus Snape, that the Headmaster was able to keep both boys at Hogwarts._

_It was a fortunate move, as the bitten student, Severus Snape, a genius youth descended from Prince line and currently in the loving care of the Malfoy family, managed to create a cure of sorts for werewolves. With marginal aid from the original werewolf, Remus Lupin, whose guilt made him eager to make amends, and a childhood friend, muggleborn Lily Evans, young Severus Snape developed a cure which makes the werewolf able to retain its own mind through the transformation._

_Lucius Malfoy, who has known Severus since the genius began attending Hogwarts, states, "I had always known that Severus would do something great. Despite the pain and suffering inflicted on him by the carelessness of the inadequately dealt with James Potter and Sirius Black, Severus was able to rebound and create this boon for wizardkind. From now on, every werewolf can be made harmless."_

_When the Black family was acted to comment on what has happened to their former scion's victim, Narcissa Black, fiancé of Lucius Malfoy, stepped forward to state that Sirius Black has long been disowned and thus not of the Blacks' concern. However, Miss Malfoy did state that she is proud to know someone like Severus Snape._

_Mrs. Walburga Black, mother of the disowned Sirius Black, says, "I remember Severus. He was a weedy little thing. Despite the taint of his abusive, drunkard father, I would rather have him than my useless, wicked son, Sirius."_

_The Potter family, which also put forth a bid to become guardian of Severus Snape, was also asked to comment, but they declined to…_

Severus took his time reading that articles, drinking in the words of disgust issued by the Black family about their scion and the suspicions being leveled at Potter. There were minor articles to accompany the main one, including one reviving the issue of why Sirius Black, who had been the ones to instigate the incident leading to the werewolf-bite, had not been expelled. A minor article spoke of James Potter also being deeply involved in the werewolf prank. It was unfortunate that Peter Pettigrew was not included, but Pettigrew was a little, spineless fool, anyways, decided Severus.

But regardless of such things…

"We did it!" shouted Lily triumphantly.

And they had.


End file.
